Buddy (electric car)
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Buddy is a
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...
electric city car, produced by Buddy Electric in the early 2000s, formerly known as Pure Mobility and Elbil Norge AS, at Økern in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
. In 2007, the Buddy, and its predecessor, the
Kewet Kewet was the brand name of a battery electric vehicle. Since 2007, it has been manufactured under the name Buddy by Elbil Norge in Oslo, Norway. From inception in 1991 through October 2013, total combined sales of the Kewet and Buddy totaled ...
, made up 20% of the electric cars in
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
. Since its inception in 1991, combined sales of the Kewet and Buddy had totaled about 1,500 vehicles through October 2013, of which, 1,087 were registered in Norway.


History

Buddy is the sixth generation of the
Kewet Kewet was the brand name of a battery electric vehicle. Since 2007, it has been manufactured under the name Buddy by Elbil Norge in Oslo, Norway. From inception in 1991 through October 2013, total combined sales of the Kewet and Buddy totaled ...
electric vehicle. Originally, the Kewet was developed in
Hadsund ) , image_map = Hadsund Havn fra luften..jpg , image_seal = Hadsund segl 1937.png , image_shield = Coat of arms of Hadsund.svg , pushpin_map = Denmark , pushpin_label_position = , push ...
,
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
, and the first model was made in 1991. Production alternated between Hadsund, Denmark and
Nordhausen Nordhausen may refer to: * Nordhausen (district), a district in Thuringia, Germany ** Nordhausen, Thuringia, a city in the district **Nordhausen station, the railway station in the city * Nordhouse, a commune in Alsace (German: Nordhausen) * Narost ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. During the first five generations, over 1000 electric vehicles were produced. They were sold in 18 countries. In 1998, all rights were acquired by ElBil Norge AS (which, at the time, was called Kollega Bil AS). For some years, ElBil Norge further developed the vehicle and in the autumn of 2005, a new model was presented that was first called Kewet Buddy Citi-Jet 6, but is now known simply as the Buddy. In December 2008, the first 12 Buddy cars were sent from the Buddy factory in Økern by boat to Copenhagen. In 2010, Pure Mobility (former "Elbil Norge") launched a new version of the Buddy, initially marketed as "MetroBuddy", but the "Metro" prefix was removed due to negative or confusing associations with the term.


Technology and production

Buddy is a simple, functional, electric city car with a
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
of depending on the season, topography and driving style. Its maximum speed is . Its length is , which allows it in some jurisdictions to be legally parked sideways. The Buddy consists of a strong, hot galvanized steel tube frame with safety cage, but with no proper deformation zones. The body is made of thin
fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
. Other metal parts are treated so that further rust treatment is unnecessary. The
electric motor An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
is a 72V
Sepex A brushed DC electric motor is an internally commutated electric motor designed to be run from a direct current power source and utilizing an electric brush for contact. Brushed motors were the first commercially important application of electri ...
13 kW, a direct current motor with brushes. Well-tried technological solutions have been used for maximal reliability. The car has no servo or aids regarding steering and braking, and the response and "connection" to brakes and front wheels are vague and difficult to finesse. It also lacks safety equipment such as ABS, ESP or airbags. The Buddy was produced with
lead acid batteries Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut ...
which, when completely discharged, can be recharged in 6–8 hours, or rapidly charged so that one hour's charging allows the vehicle to be driven about . Charging uses an ordinary grounded outlet with a minimum circuit of 10 A. The batteries' life expectancy is 2–5 years, or about 20 000 km, depending on driving and charging habits. A complete battery set costs from , excluding value added tax. ElBil Norge has made a development fleet of Buddy vehicles equipped with various forms of
Li-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also see ...
technology. When the technology becomes available commercially, existing vehicles will potentially be upgradeable. The Buddy was EU approved as a
heavy quadricycle The quadricycle is a European Union vehicle category for four-wheeled microcars, which allows these vehicles to be designed to less stringent requirements when compared to regular cars. Quadricycles are defined by limitations in terms of weigh ...
(an electric four-wheel motorcycle) by the
Vehicle Certification Agency The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is an executive agency of the United Kingdom Department for Transport, and is the UK's type approval authority. VCA has been supporting the automotive industry since the early 1970s, with offices in the UK ...
. It can be used as an ordinary vehicle without restrictions, and drivers require only an ordinary driver's license. Two models of the Buddy were available: the standard version, and the BuddyCab with a folding roof. In 2007, production at Økern in Oslo was 5–6 vehicles a week, with a theoretical capacity of 500 vehicles annually. To meet international needs, ElBil Norge was working to establish new production facilities. The Buddy has been sold only in Norway while the company prepares for export. As of late 2008, plans were under way for an additional factory in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, with projected production of 5000 cars per year.


Sales

The Buddy ranked 29th in sales by automotive brands in Norway in 2006, ahead of Jaguar, Fiat,
Smart Smart or SMART may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014 * Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com * ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper * '' SMart'', a children's television se ...
and Porsche. While most other cars there are dark or muted colors, about 80% of Buddys are delivered in a multitude of strong, bright colours, with many using bold decorative elements such as flowers, hearts, clouds, and flames. One cloud-covered Buddy was designed to match the owner's night table lamp. 125 Buddies were sold in Norway in 2011, a market share of 6% of all electric vehicles sold in the country that year. ''See table "Elbilsalg i 2011 fordelt på måned og merke" (Electric vehicle sales in 2011, by onth and brand) to see monthly sales for 2011.'' , 1,087 units were registered in Norway, the leading market, consisting of 2 Kewet CITI VANs, 22 Kewet EL-JET (1–4)s, 50 Kewet CITI JET 5s, 379 Buddy M9 (2010–2013), and 634 Kewet Buddy Citi-Jet 6 (2005–2009).


Operations and ownership

Buddy was produced by Buddy Electric (formerly known as "Pure Mobility" and "ElBil Norge AS") which in 2003 changed its name from Kollega Bil AS. Originally established in 1992, it has been in the electric vehicle business since that time. Its managing director is Kjell Strøm. Elbil Norge AS is owned by its original founders Jan-Petter Skram and Viggo Vargum, and external investors include Hafslund Venture AS, Gezina AS ( Th. Brøvig), members of the Selvaag family, Lychegaarden ( Jens P. Heyerdahl) and Jan Chr G Sundt. The owners have gradually expanded the company. In 2005, the owners invested NOK 12 million to expand the Økern factory. ElBil Norge was profitable in 2004 and 2005 and has a ratio of owner equity to debt of 90%.


Technical specifications

*Mass without batteries: *Lead batteries weight: *Maximum allowed weight: *Seating capacity: 3 adults *Length x Width x Height: 2440 x 1430 x 1440 mm *Wheelbase: 155 cm * Turning circle: 7.0 m *Motor: SepEx 72V DC *Power: 13 kW *Top speed: *Acceleration: 0–50 km/h in 7 s *Maximum hill-starting ability: 20% *Suspension: Front – MacPherson struts. Rear – Independent telescopic suspension *Wheels/Tyres standard: Alloy wheels 4Jx13 // 135(145)/80R13 *Brakes:
Regenerative braking Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...
to enhance the
driving range A driving range is a facility or area where golfers can practice their golf swing. It can also be a recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. Many golf courses have a driving range att ...
. *Disc brakes on all wheels with double circuit braking system. Parking brake on the rear wheels *Body:
Fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
reinforced polyester *Safety cabin: Welded tubular steel space frame, optional hot dip galvanised *Batteries: **Maintenance-free lead acid batteries, ca 10,5 kWh available. **Under testing systems with
lithium-ion battery A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also s ...
technology, 10 or 14 kWh *Charging time: 0–100% in 6–8 hours, 30–95% in 3 hours *Range: ** Lead-acid batteries , depending on road conditions, temperature and the driver ** Lithium-ion batteries up to *Homologation number (Reference Approval Number): e11*2002/24*0153*03 (2002/24/EG: Type Approval for 2- and 3-wheeled motorised vehicles)


In popular culture

The Buddy appeared in the Hollywood film Downsizing (2017) starring
Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Ameri ...
. It is also driven by the main character in the Norwegian drama film ''
1001 Grams ''1001 Grams'' ( no, 1001 Gram) is a 2014 Norwegian drama film written and directed by Bent Hamer. It was selected as the Norwegian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not nominated. Cast * Ane Dahl Torp ...
(2014).''


See also

*
Electric car use by country Electric car use by country varies worldwide, as the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles is affected by consumer demand, market prices, availability of charging infrastructure, and government policies, such as purchase incentives and long ...
* Plug-in electric vehicles in Norway *
Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles have been established around the world to support policy-driven adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. These incentives mainly take the form of purchase rebates, tax exemptions and tax credits, ...
*
List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles This is a list of battery electric vehicles that are mass-produced, formerly produced, and planned. It includes only vehicles exclusively using chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion (e.g ...
*
Plug-in electric vehicle A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which then ...
* Uniti (car)


References


External links


Official company websiteElectric car calculator (in Norwegian)Buddy user manual (.pdf) (in Norwegian)
{{Automotive industry in Norway Production electric cars Electric city cars Microcars Automotive industry in Norway Car manufacturers of Norway Norwegian brands Hadsund